The good: The affordable Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver adds Bluetooth streaming capabilities to anything with an audio (auxiliary) input, or a pair of powered speakers. It comes with both RCA-to-3.5mm and 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cables.

The bad: It's "wireless," but needs to be plugged into the audio component (and a wall outlet).

The cost: $27.65 to $50

The bottom line: The Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver is a cheap and easy way to add wireless audio streaming to any powered speaker system or audio component with a spare input.

Amazon Kindle (2012)

Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The good: The entry-level Amazon Kindle is a compact, lightweight and ultra-affordable e-book reader with a crisp e-ink screen and Wi-Fi. It offers access to a massive catalog of books, magazines and newspapers via Amazon.com's familiar online store, plus online loaners from your local library. The Kindle can hold hundreds of books, and the battery lasts for weeks.

The bad: Lacks the touch-screen and self-illumination found on more expensive e-readers. All accessories - including an AC charger - cost extra.

The cost: $69 with Special Offers, $89 without

The bottom line: The $69 Amazon Kindle is an excellent no-frills e-book reader for anyone who's willing to forgo a built-in light or a touch-screen.

Roku 3

Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The good: The Roku 3's excellent interface and speedy processor make it feel quicker and more responsive than any other streaming box. More than 1,000 channels are supported, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Pandora, MLB.TV, Amazon Cloud Player, Vudu and (finally) Youtube. It also has cross-platform search that scours several major TV and movie services to find content. And Roku's nifty remote has a built-in headphone jack that lets you listen without disturbing others.

The bad: The Apple TV still works better within the Apple ecosystem. And the Roku 3 isn't the best option if you're mostly looking to stream your personal digital media collection.

The cost: $89 to $130

The bottom line: The Roku 3 is the best streaming-video box yet, with tons of content sources, lightning-fast performance, and an innovative remote with built-in headphone jack.